Adjustable depth carton



July 28, 1970 H w. LAYNE-A 3,521,748

ADJUSTABLE DEPTH CARTON` Filed June 27, 1968 lr-f-Ttf-:fF-1`LI;

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United States` Patent O 3,521,748 ADJUSTABLE DEPTH CARTON Harold W. Layne, Sr., Beech Grove, Ind., assignor to Inland Container Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed June 27, 1968, Ser. N o. 740,715 Int. Cl. B65d 45/00, 85/62 U.S. Cl. 20G-83.5 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A container particularly adapted for packaging reams of paper comprisng upper and lower sections with intertting side margins which are normally spaced from each other vertically, with the sidepanels of the container sections lying in the same plane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The iield of the invention is packaging of stacked, relatively flat articles such as paper sheets, the invention being embodied in a container for such sheets.

Description of the prior art-In packaging of stacked paper sheets it is customary to use a generally rectangular container formed of corrugated board or the like, the cover telescoping over the base or tray portion. The container -may be designed, with reference to the height of the stack of paper sheets to be enclosed in it, so that the top of the cover just engages the upper edge of the side walls of the tray portion when the stack is held rmly, that is so that the upper edge of the tray sidewalls and the topmost sheet on the standard ream of paper lie in substantially the same horizontal plane. Under these ideal conditions the stack of sheets is held rmly and tightly within the container and cannot shift laterally even though the container supports several additional loaded containers stacked atop it. However, there is a surprising variation in height of a given number of stacked sheets even of paper having the same specification. If the stack height is slightly oversize, that is, extends a bit above the upper edges of the tray sidewalls, since the cover is slightly larger than the tray portion to permit telescoping, under sideward forces on the container the uppermost portion of the stack sheets can shift laterally and be damaged at the sheet edges. Such shifting can occur when loaded containers are stacked atop each other, since any slight unbalance of the compressive forces thus exerted would appy sideward or lateral forces sufficient to cause the stacks of sheets in the affected containers to shift sidewardly damaging the edges of the sheets above the tray portions upper margins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The container of the present invention utilizes an upper cover and a lower tray having tabs and adjacent cut-out sections which interiit but do not engage each other, the tray and cover, since they do not telescope into each other, being of the same size with their corresponding side and end panels lying in the same plane. Tape or other closure material covering the gap between the cover and tray completes the assembly. The container accommodates variation in the height of the stack of paper sheets enclosed and holds the stack tightly so that it cannot shift laterally.

3,521,748 Patented July 28, 1970 ICS BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the container includes a tray component 10 (FIG. 2) and a cover component 11. These t-wo components may be formed from identical blanks such as that shown in FIG. 1 (the blank there shown being that of tray component 10).

Both the cover and tray components are provided with a central panel 13 and 14. The tray component is further provided with side panels 16, 17, 18 and 19 (FIG. 1) and the margins of the side panels are contoured so as to provide extensions of tabs 16a, 17a, 18a and 19a and cut away to provide depressions identified at '16b, 17b, 18b and 19b. Cuts 21 at the junction of the panels 16, 17, 18 and 19 permit the overlapping of tabs 22, 23, 24 and 25 with the adjacent panels when the tray component is erected as will be apparent from FIG. 2. The tabs may be glued or stapled or fastened by any other suitable means in forming the carton.

As may be seen in FIG. 2, the cover portion 11 is also provided with side panels 23, 24, 26 and 27 and these side panels are provided with extensions 23a and 24a and depressions 2312 and 24h corresponding to those on the tray component 10` (the panels 27 and the unnumbered panel opposite panel 27 also -being formed with tabs and depressions visibile in FIG. 2). Tabs 28, 29, 31 and 32 overlap the adjacent panels and are fastened as previously described with reference to the tray component.

As may be seen in FIG. 2, a ream or other standard quantity of paper sheets, identilied at 38 in FIG. 2, may be loaded within the tray and the cover lowered over the sheets. As will be evident from FIG. 3 the extensions and depressions of the cover and tray components intert but, under design conditions, do not bottom against each other when the cover is placed over the stacked sheets. The cover may thus accommodate variation in the height of the contents 38 while yet holding the topmost sheets in the stack tight against lateral shifting. The container is completed by utilizing a closing means for closing the gap between the margins of the side panels of the tray and closure members, the closure means conveniently taking the form of tape 39 (FIG. 3) adhered to the marginal areas of both the tray and cover components. Since the side panels of both the tray and the cover components lie in the same plane the contents are gripped, even at their upper edge, tightly as contrasted to the freedom to shift laterally which exists in prior art, telescoping cover and tray types of containers. Because the tray and cover components may be made identically, manufacturing and stocking advantages are .inherent in the construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A container containing objects of varying depth such as stacked sheets of paper, said container comprising tray and cover components each having a central panel and side panels, adjacent side panels of the tray References Cited and cove'r lying Within the same vertical plane, the mar- UNITED STATES PATENTS gms of side panels of said tray and cover being formed with interitting extensions and depressions, said cover 2,053,595 9/1936 Be1mgef 229-43 and tray margins being spaced from each other a distance 214541455 11/1948 Irwm 206-4 dependent upon the variation in height of the object accommodated 'in the container, and tape means encircling DAVID M- BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner the container closing the gap between said side panel margins, said tray and cover being identically dimensioned U'S- Cl- X-R- and contoured. 10 206--60, 63; 229-45 

